WASHINGTON — The growing use of GLP-1 medications could reshape the way Americans drink at restaurants, with operators increasingly expanding menus beyond traditional beer, wine and cocktails as consumers show greater interest in health-focused and alcohol-free options.
The shift is being driven by several overlapping trends, including increased interest in wellness, changing drinking habits among younger adults and the appetite-suppressing effects associated with GLP-1 medications.
A 2026 Restaurant Beverage Trends report from the National Restaurant Association found that 25% of adults who said they do not drink alcohol cited health reasons for that decision. Among Gen Z nondrinkers, the share rose to 34%.
The report is based on surveys of consumers and restaurant operators nationwide and found that beverages remain an important part of the restaurant business, even as customers increasingly seek alternatives to alcoholic drinks.
Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Restaurant Association, told Fox News Digital that GLP-1 medications are one factor restaurant operators are watching as they plan their beverage offerings.
“I think you’re seeing a lot younger folks who are, in general, wanting to be healthier,” Moutray said, pointing to the broader wellness movement and growing interest in energy and health drinks.
He said GLP-1 medications add another dimension because people taking the drugs may experience reduced appetite.
“And then you add to that the GLP-1 notion, where if you’re taking one of those drugs and your appetite is more suppressed, you’re not going to drink as much alcohol,” Moutray said.
That potential change could be significant for restaurants and bars because alcohol has traditionally been an important source of revenue, particularly for full-service establishments.
At the same time, the numbers suggest younger consumers are not abandoning alcohol altogether.
According to the National Restaurant Association report, 71% of Gen Z adults and 74% of millennials surveyed said they drink alcohol either at home or at restaurants. When specifically asked about restaurant consumption, 60% of Gen Z respondents and 68% of millennials said they drink alcohol at restaurants.
The emerging pattern appears to be more about moderation and choice than a wholesale rejection of alcohol.
Derek Brown, a hospitality consultant and founder of Drink Company, said GLP-1 medications are contributing to a broader moderation trend already underway in the beverage industry.
“Yeah, there’s no doubt that GLP-1s are having an effect on the way that people consume,” Brown told Fox News Digital.
Brown said the medications are “part of a basket of things” contributing to more moderate consumption.
“I definitely think that bars and restaurants are starting to feel that,” he said.
That has restaurants looking for ways to keep beverage customers engaged even when those customers aren’t ordering alcoholic drinks.
Among limited-service restaurant operators surveyed, 24% said they planned to add new wellness drinks in 2026, while 26% planned to add energy drinks, 29% planned to add smoothies and 27% planned to add new lemonade offerings.
Coffee was an even bigger area of interest, with 46% of limited-service operators saying they planned to add new coffee offerings.
Moutray said that trend could accelerate if GLP-1 medications become more affordable and widely used.
“I think as GLP-1s become less expensive as this year goes on and as we move into 2027, you’re going to see restaurant operators continuing to look for alternatives that can be good menu options for consumers that might be taking those drugs,” he said.
The implications extend beyond people taking medication.
Restaurants are responding to a broader consumer demand for beverages that offer something beyond alcohol — whether that means functional or wellness-oriented ingredients, additional protein or energy, fewer calories, or simply the social experience of a sophisticated drink without alcohol.
That is creating a wider beverage portfolio for diners.
For restaurants, the economic incentive is straightforward.
The National Restaurant Association found that 87% of full-service restaurant operators and 80% of limited-service operators said beverages can be an important driver of customer traffic.
Moutray said beverage offerings can help restaurants attract customers while potentially improving profitability.
“It’s driving traffic, it’s getting people excited and it’s, hopefully, also helping to improve overall profit margins,” he said.
The trend does not necessarily spell the end of the traditional restaurant bar. Instead, it could mean that the bar becomes a place where customers have considerably more choices.
A customer taking a GLP-1 medication may order a nonalcoholic cocktail. Another diner may choose a wellness drink or smoothie. Someone else may still order a beer or cocktail but have fewer drinks than in the past.
That creates a challenge for restaurants: replacing some of the volume traditionally generated by alcohol while preserving the social and experiential aspects of going out.
Brown said the effects of GLP-1 drugs should be viewed as part of a larger transformation rather than an isolated cause of declining alcohol consumption.
The National Restaurant Association’s findings similarly indicate that consumers are developing broader beverage preferences rather than simply moving away from drinks altogether.
For restaurant operators, that distinction could prove important.
If customers continue visiting restaurants but increasingly divide their beverage spending among cocktails, mocktails, coffee, smoothies, energy drinks and wellness beverages, operators have an opportunity to capture that spending by expanding their menus.
But if customers taking GLP-1 medications consume less food and alcohol overall, restaurants could also face pressure to rethink how they design menus and generate revenue.
For now, the beverage industry appears to be preparing for both possibilities.
The emerging restaurant strategy is less about choosing between alcohol and no alcohol and more about offering customers enough variety to match changing lifestyles.
And as GLP-1 medications become more common, Moutray expects those changes to continue influencing what Americans order when they go out to eat.
